I am delighted to share that my entry, Neutralising Compassion, has received a Highly Commended Award in the People’s Choice category of the Wrexham University Visualising Research Competition.
The competition invites researchers to communicate their work through a single image, challenging us to move beyond academic language and find creative ways to make complex ideas accessible to wider audiences. Rather than relying on journal articles, conference presentations, or lengthy reports, participants are asked a deceptively simple question: Can you tell the story of your research in a single image?
My entry, Neutralising Compassion, was inspired by my PhD research exploring speciesism and the role of language in the normalisation of animal consumption. The image seeks to capture a central theme emerging from my research: the ways in which individuals, institutions, and cultures can distance themselves from the realities of animal suffering through language, social norms, and psychological processes that make harm easier to justify or ignore.
The title draws upon the concept of neutralisation, a theory often used within criminology to explain how people reconcile actions that conflict with their values. My research examines how similar processes may operate in relation to animal consumption, allowing compassion to be set aside while maintaining a positive moral self-image.
What I particularly value about the Visualising Research Competition is its emphasis on public engagement. Research can sometimes remain confined within academic journals and university walls. Competitions such as this encourage researchers to communicate their ideas in ways that invite curiosity, reflection, and conversation beyond academia.
Receiving a Highly Commended Award in the People’s Choice category is especially meaningful because it reflects the responses of members of the public. Knowing that the image resonated with others suggests that visual storytelling can play an important role in opening dialogue around difficult social and ethical issues.
I would like to thank Wrexham University for organising the competition and everyone who took the time to view, discuss, and vote for the entries. It was a privilege to participate alongside researchers from a wide range of disciplines and to see the many creative ways in which research can be brought to life through visual media.
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